


Three Dozen Roses

by Cassie_Bones



Series: Gay-U's [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex and Maggie are plaid-wearing stage crew members, Bc it's background, Blame it on Eli, But not enough for me to tag their relationship, F/F, GAY-U, Kara is adorable as always, Kara is the Stage Manager, Lena Ballerina, Lena is a huge fucking dork, SuperCorp, Swan Lake - Freeform, There are flowers too, They're also MAJORLY GAY, Tiny bit of Angst, Winn is also a little Gay, With a dash of Sanvers, ballerina au, really gay, super gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 02:38:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8950648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassie_Bones/pseuds/Cassie_Bones
Summary: Ballerina AU. Lena Luthor is the primaballerina for the National City Ballet Company, starring as Odette/Odile in their production of Swan Lake. She meets Kara Danvers, the adorable, well-organized, and somewhat clumsy stage manager. It's love at first sight and Really Really Gay™Blame Eli (luthoring)





	1. Shit, she's hot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [captain_golden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_golden/gifts).



**Three Dozen Red Roses**

_**Lena** _

The muscles in her calves ached more than the tips of her toes as Lena spun herself around for the hundredth time in the last five minutes, one leg crossing gracefully behind the other as she raised her arms in a perfect arc over her head, keeping her spine curved just right.

“Again!”

Her mother’s voice shattered whatever serenity still existed in the dance studio, the slam of her cane on the floor causing more stress to flood Lena’s body and her hands to clench into fists as she dropped her arms. She sighed, turning to her mother with a glare. “I’ve done more than enough, Mother,” she said, placing one hand on her hip. “I need a rest.”

“You’ll rest when you get it perfect,” Lillian Luthor retorted, her chin held high, her blue eyes ice cold as they rested on her daughter’s frown. “Your legs are shaking too much right now.”

“My legs are shaking because I haven’t had a proper rest in nearly four hours,” Lena reminded her. “God, I haven’t even eaten yet.”

Lillian’s eyes flitted down to Lena’s midsection, at the tightness of her daughter’s black floral leotard. She tilted her head and pursed her lips. “Are you _really_ thinking about eating right now, Lena?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be watching your figure?”

“Carbs are energy, Mother. I need energy if I’m going to remain on my feet, don’t you think?” With that, she grabbed her bag and water bottle from the floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Despite the ache in her feet and legs, Lena didn’t stop until she turned the corner. There, she finally allowed her body to relax against the nearest wall, closing her eyes and taking a moment to breathe.

The moment was broken by the chirp of her phone in her bag and she reached inside, plucking out the iPhone, which had a ballet shoe pattern on the case. She smiled, momentarily, at the gift from Jess, one of her oldest friends from childhood. Her only friend, really, and she was now halfway across the world, dancing with the Russian Ballet.

(Lillian would never forgive her for ‘messing up’ her audition and allowing Jess to take her spot.)

The phone chirped again and Lena sighed, turning it over.

 **Mom:** Be back in one hour.  
**Mom:** We have a lot of work left to do.

Lena rolled her eyes and pressed the home button for Siri.

_“Yes, Lena? How may I assist you?”_

“Siri, set my timer for ninety minutes.”

_“Okay! Ninety minutes and counting.”_

Lena grinned and pressed the ‘Night Mode’ on her phone, before slipping it back into her bag and continuing on her way, deciding that a grilled cheese and some tomato soup from the deli around the corner might provide some much needed relief to her growling stomach.

And she could put it on Mother’s card, as well.

* * *

  
Finding a spot where she could peacefully enjoy her lunch would be difficult, Lena knew, as her mother already knew all her favorite places to go and would no doubt go looking for her when Lena didn’t get back right in time to continue the torture session that Lillian was trying to pass off as practice. Her mother either didn’t realize that Lena was a grown ass adult or she didn’t care; she continued to treat her like a child, anyway.

In the end, she figured it might be best to eat at the back of the auditorium, where she knew a lot of the other dancers in the ensemble went to chat as the stage crew got everything ready for their upcoming performances.

For a full month, the National City Ballet Company would be performing _Swan Lake_ with Lena Luthor as their star. The show, which had been heavily advertised all over the country, had sold out within hours of the tickets going on sale. The producers had even come to Lena, asking if adding matinee performances on Sundays would be alright with her.

“Of course it would be!” Lillian had exclaimed before Lena could even open her mouth. “So long as she’s paid, accordingly.”

“Certainly, Mrs. Luthor!” they’d said, smiling thankfully at the pair of them. Lena had just forced a smile back and tried not to think of the blisters and achy muscles she’d have to deal with come the end of the month. They’d now be four shows worse.

A rather sizable poster of her own face, in full Odette/White Swan makeup, met Lena as she approached the entrance to the theater. She avoided her own gaze as she quickly shuffled inside and found the auditorium buzzing with noise. Several crew members were hammering backdrops on the stage and Lena could hear the buzz of power drills over the sound of her cast mates talking amongst themselves. She thought about joining a group as they dug into their salads and sandwiches, laughing about something or other. She wanted so much to laugh with them, but instead she found herself plopping down in a seat in the last row and reaching into her bag for the tin-wrapped sandwich and cup of soup.

Lena propped her feet up on the seat in front of her and dipped one corner of the sandwich into her soup, then leaned in for a bite, moaning in ecstasy as the flavor hit her tongue. She almost wanted to cry from relief and shove the entirety of what remained down her throat, but she reminded herself that if she choked on a goddamn sandwich in the middle of the theater, her mother would never let her hear the end of it. So she ate calmly, if only to spite Lillian.

“Spotlight check!”

Lena looked up halfway through a rather large and unattractive bite of her sandwich, just as the stage was bathed in a warm yellow goal.

Wait.

No.

Not the stage.

An angel. And honest-to-God living _angel_ was bathed in a yellow glow on the stage, staring up at the balcony.

“Okay,” she said (even her voice was a gift from the high heavens; Lena was certain of this), “that’s a bit harsh. Can we soften it a little?” Nothing changed. “Winn?” Still nothing. “Winn?” A little louder this time, but still sweet and polite. “Winn?” Still nothing.

One of the other crew members jumped to her feet and stepped up next to the angel, glaring up into the light, one hand shielded over her eyes. “Quit flirting with your boyfriend and do your damn job! Kara says the light’s too harsh!”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” two male voices shouted back. Lena didn’t know which belonged to this Winn character, but she did know which voice belonged to the angel known as Kara, who was suddenly bathed in a white glow. This one was much softer and made her look even more ethereal.

“Perfect!” Kara exclaimed, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands together.

 _Oh god,_ Lena thought. _What a fucking dork._

“Are the leads here?” she asked the other woman on stage with her. “Maybe we should test it out on them; see how they look under the light.”

Lena almost _did_ choke on her sandwich this time, swallowing her oversized bite in one gulp and sputtering out a cough as she frantically waved her hand.

  
**_Kara_ **

The white light was perfect. It wasn’t too harsh and it should illuminate the Swans’ costumes perfectly during the show. If only she could find the dancers that played—

“I think that’s one of them,” Alex said, nudging Kara as she pointed out into the audience. Kara could barely see with the spotlight still shining in her face, but she could faintly make out a figure as they stepped out into the aisle. “I think she just swallowed a whole sandwich in one go,” Alex murmured. “Need me a freak like that.”

“Get back over here, Danvers!” Alex’s girlfriend called, from where she was still drilling a hole in some of the scenery.

Alex turned back to her and saw Maggie’s glare pointed directly at her. She gave her a wide, apologetic smile. “Just kidding!” she said. “Please put down the drill, babe.” She disappeared backstage while Kara’s eyes trailed the figure down the aisle, offering her a welcome smile.

“Hey,” she greeted. “Thank God you’re here today. I’m Kara Danvers, the stage…manager…” Her words slowed as the young woman’s face came into view and she felt her entire body flush at the sight. _Shit,_ Kara thought, as a tall, slender, dimpled goddess with cheekbones sharp enough to cut marble stepped up on stage. _SHIT. She’s hot._

“Lena,” the woman greeted, giving her a wide grin. “Lena Luthor.” She offered her hand and Kara took it, feeling a shock of electricity run up her arm as soon as their palms kissed.

_Shit._

  
_**Lena**_

_Shit._

_She’s hot._

“H-hi,” Kara Danvers stuttered out, her hand still wrapped around Lena’s, though they’d stopped shaking a number of seconds ago. Kara seemed to notice this half a second after Lena and pulled her hand away, as if it had been burned, her face turning bright pink as she cleared her throat. “Um, would you mind…?” She stepped out of the spotlight and, shit, how was it possible that she was even _more_ attractive without the halo of light? What kind of sorcery…?

Lena forced herself to remain calm as she matched Kara’s smile and took a step into the pool of light, blinking up at the balcony, where a young man was chatting up another, the pair of them chuckling about something and clearly not paying any attention.

“Winn!” Kara groaned. “Please pay attention! This is very important. The shows start in a week and we have to make sure everything is just right or else… _Winn!_ ” He still wasn’t listening, leaning on the light as he gazed at the other guy.

“WINSLOW SCHOTT JUNIOR,” the other woman, who was garbed in a loose-fitting plaid shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, and tightly-laced hiking boots, bellowed as she stood, once again, next to Kara. “YOU BETTER GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER OR I’M GOING TO SHOVE MY FOOT SO FAR UP YOUR ASS—”

“Alex!” Kara exclaimed, tugging on her arm. “Um, thanks for that, but I’ve got it covered from here.” She gave the other woman a sweet smile and Alex gave her an adoring one in return.

“Always there for you, kid,” she said, pulling Kara into a one-armed hug. Kara giggled adorably and Lena felt herself grow a little green with envy.

“Danvers!” another woman called, obviously annoyed.

“Coming!” Alex called back, scurrying off to drop down next to her. Lena found herself glaring at her retreating back.

“My sister can be a bit…protective,” Kara said and Lena’s eyes widened at that as she turned back.

“Sister?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Kara affirmed. “We don’t really look alike because I’m…well, I’m _adopted_ , but yeah.” She pushed her thick, black-rimmed glasses up her nose. “So, anyway, the white light look pretty great on you. I mean, I’m sure the yellow light would look great, too. Actually, _any_ color light would probably look amazing, but, uh, I mean, um…” Her face turned beet red and Lena melted just a little bit more, watching her stutter and blush.

_Fuck, she’s adorable._

Lena opened her mouth to say something (hopefully something smooth and charming) but before she could even get one syllable out, she heard what was quite possibly her least favorite sound in the world.

“LENA!” Kara jumped and Lena immediately wanted to murder her mother for causing this precious little angel any kind of distress, whatsoever. She turned to watch as Lillian stormed down the aisle, holding up her phone. “WHY DIDN’T YOU ANSWER ANY OF MY TEXTS? WE’RE WAY OVER SCHEDULE! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK TWENTY MINUTES AGO!”

She could practically feel Kara shaking next to her and all Lena wanted to was reach over and hold her hand, assure her that she was safe as long as she was there.

But she couldn’t. Because she barely knew this girl. So why the fuck did she want to hold her hand and kiss that stupid beautiful face of hers? Shit, she was _so_ gay.

“We’re doing a light check, Mother,” Lena replied calmly, stepping out of the spotlight so that she could better see Lillian as she paused in the aisle. “Or do you want me to look washed out during my shows?” Lillian frowned and Lena smirked; she’d gotten her there. “That’s what I thought.” She turned back to Kara, who still looked a little shaken up. “I’ll see you later?”

_Why the FUCK did you phrase that as a question? Way to look desperate, Luthor._

Kara gave her a soft, shy smile, anyway. “Yeah,” she said. “See you later.” Lena felt her heart flutter in her chest as she gave Kara one last look, before turning to followed her mother out of the theater, grabbing her things in the process.

  
_**Kara** _

Fuck, she was so screwed.


	2. Three Dozen Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Two is even Gayer than Part One if that's possible.
> 
> But not as gay as Eli

**Three Dozen Red**

_**Kara** _

She watched her rehearse. Every single day. It was probably really creepy and she should probably stop but...she couldn't.

Because Lena Luthor was the most graceful creature Kara had ever laid eyes on. The way she moved across the stage and the lines of her body was art in motion (yes, Kara knew that was the point of dance, shut up) and she found her attention drawn to the other woman as she twirled and leapt and arched her back. She felt her mouth go dry every time Lena lifted up on her tiptoes and looked up into the spotlight (which Winn had thankfully started paying attention to since Alex's little 'talk'), which both shrouded her in an ethereal glow and highlighted the sharpeness of her cheekbones and jaw. 

 _I'm too gay for this,_ Kara thought as she watched Lena leap into...what's-his-face's arms during their "lover's embrace" scene. Lena's entire body was one big, graceful curve, the muscles of her legs standing out underneath the thin material of her tights. Kara felt her cheeks flush every time she caught herself staring.

And even more so when  _Alex_ caught her staring. Her older sister gave her a huge, shit-eating when she caught Kara gazing longingly at Lena's form on the stage instead of listening to their Director, J'onn, as he spelled out what had to be done for opening night--which is  _tomorrow--_ and Kara just told her to shut up and gave her a shove, but Alex was snickering and shaking her head because her baby sister had a  _crush._

How cute.

Kara narrowly avoided getting her cheek pinched by her annoying older sister as the tech meeting dispersed and she ran up the steps to the stage...only to run smack dab into Lena as she was making her way off. 

"Shit!" Kara exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to steady the other woman and ending up with both arrms wound around her waist, while Lena's hands clutched at her shoulders, their eyes meeting and holding for  _way too long_ before Kara suddenly coughed and backed up, laughing nervously and scratching the back of her neck.

"Sorry," she said, continuing up the stairs. "I was just," she motioned vaguely toward the stage, "going...over....there!" Turning, she made to sprint up the remaining steps, only to catch her foot on the edge of the step and fall flat on her face.

For a full minute Kara wished for nothing but the sweet embrace of death.

"Jesus Christ," she heard Alex say as her sister's footsteps approached her and she felt her fall to her knees next to her. "Kara, are you alright?"

"Let me die," Kara muttered, her voice half-muffled by the stage floor. 

"Bitch, you have a full-month of shows coming up. Like it or not, we  _need_ you to stand up and get your ass back to work."

"Is Lena still here?" Kara whispered. Alex sighed.

"No," she replied. "Your girlfriend was just dragged away by a dragon, sorry."

* * *

_**Lena** _

"You could have at least let me check to see if my friend was okay," Lena grumbled as her mother continued to drag her away by the wrist. 

"You can't afford any distractions," Lillian huffed. "Especially not from a safety hazard like that."

"Kara is  _not_ a safety hazard," Lena hissed, tugging her wrist out of her mother's grip. ""She's really sweet. And she's the stage manager for the show. She  _has_ to be here."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Lillian murmured, slipping her phone out of her pocket.

Lena's eyes filled with fire as she marched ahead, standing in her mother's way. "If you get Kara fired, I will quit," she threatened.

"Quit the show?" Lillian gasped, scandalized. "Over a silly little klutz?"

"Not just the show, Mother," Lena said, her voice low. " _Ballet_."

"Lena, dear," Lillian spluttered. "Don't you think that's a bit...dramatic?"

"No." She totally did. Because it was. It was  _entirely_ dramatic. But it was for a good cause. "Not at all. I've never liked dancing." That was a lie. "I did it just to please you." Not as much as a lie, but close. "And I  _will_ quit if you insist on meddling on my personal life." She steadied her glare on her mother. "Understood?"

Lillian took a deep breath. "Fine," she said, slipping the phone into her pocket. "I won't get your little  _friend_ fired."

"You promise?" Lena asked, looking her mother straight in the eye.

"I swear on your life," Lillian said.

Lena lifted one eyebrow. "Swear on  _Lex's life_ ," she countered. "Then I'll believe you."

Lillian was silent for a long moment, glaring down at her daughter, before she finally sighed. "Fine," she said. "I swear on Lex's life; I won't get this girl fired."

"And you won't intimidate her into quitting either," Lena added, because she  _knew_ her mother. "Because, if she goes, I go."

Lillian took another moment. Then she nodded, a small, humorless grin appearing on her lips. "You're more like me than I thought."

Lena wrinkled her nose and turned away, stomping ahead as she fought the bile in her throat.  _Kill me now_.

* * *

_**Kara** _

_Kill me now._

Opening night was a mess. Not necessarily in a bad way, but Kara was running primarily on coffee and pure will as she ran around the backstage, making sure every cue was in order, and every prop was in its place and every backdrop was ready to go at exactly the right moment and oh god, she just needed ten seconds of rest.

"Hey, could you help me with this zipper?" Kara spun around at the sound of the familiar voice and found herself face to, err,  _back_ with none other than Lena Luthor, in full White Swan costume.

Well. Almost.

Currently, Lena was looking over her shoulder at Kara, her cheeks slightly tinged pink as her bare back remained on full display, the zipper all the way down to her waist. "Sorry," she said, "I know you probably have better things to do right now, but I can't find the woman who's been helping me all week and we only have, like, ten minutes until curtain and I just really need to get this on. Help a girl out?"

"O-of course," Kara stuttered, stumbling over nothing as she stepped forward, reaching for the zipper just above Lena's feathery white tutu. She held her breath as the back of her knuckles brushed Lena's spine and felt the other woman gasp in response, as well.

 _Shit, my hands are probably cold_.

She tugged the silver zipper all the way up as quickly as she could before retracting her hands and sticking them both into the pockets of her black jeans. "All set," she said, offering the ballerina a sweet smile as she turned back around. Lena matched it.

"Thanks, Kara," she said. "You--"

"Curtain call! Five minutes!" Alex's voice came booming throughout the small area, causing both women to jump. 

Kara looked down at her watch. "Is it that late already?" she gasped. "Golly!" She looked back up at Lena and swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry," she said, "I have to--"

"Of course," Lena said, waving her hand with a tiny grin. "Go. Do your job. I'll, uh, see you after the show?" Kara flushed and nodded, giving her one more parting smile as she ambled off, once again tripping over nothing as she disappeared backstage.

_Golly? GOLLY? Why am I such a goddamn dork?_

* * *

**_Lena_ **

_Why am I so fucking gay?_

Lena groaned internally as she watched Kara's back, and then watched the empty space where she'd been for a moment longer before she made her way to the other side of the stage, getting herself into position. 

 _Golly?_ she thought, with a fond smile.  _Oh god, what a dork._

* * *

**_Kara_ **

Things began to die down during Act Four, at which time Kara began to field questions from multiple flower delivery persons, all bearing roses or lillies or whatever flower was being gifted and it was her job to point them in the right direction (it should have been  _Alex's_ job, but her sister had tricked her into allowing her the privilege of making sure things were running smoothly with the show, while Kara was stuck with flower duty). Most of the flowers came from families or friends or significant others who weren't able to make it to opening night, mainly due to ticket sales. Most sent happy little cards and notes of congratulations and good luck on the show, but some where just flowers with a card telling Kara whom they were for.

She'd gotten to know every person in the cast pretty well over the last few weeks, so it was no issue pointing out each person's dressing room and spot in the more communal dressing rooms. Only a select few people had private rooms, which Kara had to unlock and place the flowers in herself. Lena Luthor was one of them.

Except...well, Lena Luthor didn't get any flowers. Which, to Kara, was odd.

She knew that it was unlikely for Lena to receive flowers from her mother--even if the woman hadn't been able to reserve herself an orchestra seat every single night for the entirety of their one-month run. But no flowers from anyone? She could have sworn she heard Lena mention and older brother (quite fondly, if she was remembering correctly) and an old friend named Jess, who was also a ballerina overseas. Surely, one of them would have sent Lena something on her opening night, right?

But as the show drew to a close, Lena's room and vanity table remained the only one untouched by any kind of floral arrangement and Kara felt a pang in her heart. She didn't want to feel sorry for Lena (she was, after all, the star of the show, and therefore didn't need silly flowers to determine her worth as a dancer or as a person), but she couldn't help but feel a little hurt on her behalf.

It was not a pleasant feeling.

Kara could hear the orchestra playing the last song of the show and she acted fast before she could stop herself. Grabbing a rose from one of the dozens of piles all throughout the communal women's dressing room, she hurried back to Lena's private room and quickly opened the door, slipping inside and dropping the rose on her vanity, next to a phone with ballet slippers on the case.

 _Wow, that's adorable_ , she thought with a smile, before slipping out and forcing herself to look nonchalant as she walked back to the sidestage, watching Lena and the rest of the company take their bows. Kara frowned as several roses were tossed onstage from the audience. 

 _Of course_ , she thought, cursing her sentimentality.  _How could I forget that part?_  

She had half a mind to run right back and--

"Hey!" Kara spun around, nearly falling backwards into a piece of scenery before catching herself and staring into the eyes of, once again, Lena Luthor, as she appeared offstage in front of her.

"H-hey!" Kara greeted. "Wassup?"

_What? What did you just say?_

Lena gave her a funny little smirk for that one. "Nothing much," she said, slowly, laughter in her voice. "Hey, mind unzipping me now?" She turned her back to Kara and the other girl nearly swallowed her tongue as she reached, again, for the zipper. She tried not to die as she tugged it down, instead of up, this time, slowly revealing the bare skin of Lena's back, which she was quickly becoming familiar with.

 _Oh, look, she has a tattoo. Looks like I'm never going to be able to think of_ that  _word again without cruel irony bitchslapping me in the face. Joy._

"There you go," she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." Before Lena could even turn all the way around, Kara was sprinting away, as fast as she could.

* * *

_**Lena** _

Everything in Lena was telling her that it wasn't  _her_ that was driving Kara away every time they spoke; it was her job. After all, besides the director, Kara had the biggest position in the play. She kept things running smoothly backstage and all throughout the performance, so that Lena and all the other dancers could have a good show. Of  _course_ she would be constantly on the run.

But that didn't make it hurt any less to see her sprint away like she did.

Lena sighed and made her way into her private dressing room, shutting the door behind her as she made to sit down (her feet were achy, her toes swollen and probably bloody from standing on them all night), but she paused, staring at the single, delicate rose on her vanity.

Eyes widening, she reached for it, holding it up to the light as if she were worried it was simply a figment of her imagination. But it was real. The scent of it and the prickly feel of the stem told her that it was real. But...who was it from?

Who had sent her a single rose without so much as a card? It wasn't from Jess (her gift would be more meaningful; probably an inside joke from when they studied under Madame Laurent, who was ancient but could definitely still kick both their asses from here to Parish) and Lex was still incarcerated, so she couldn't imagine he'd have the resources to order her flowers from prison. Even if he did, he wouldn't have sent only a single rose. He'd have sent a bouquet of them. And probably a stuffed animal of some kind, because he still saw her as his baby sister, barely grown into her first pink tutu.

And it definitely was not from her mother. Lillian Luthor did not send single roses to the privacy of her daughter's dressing room; she hand-delivered bouquets, plastering wide, fake, prideful smiles on her face as she embraced Lena--primaballerina and  _her_ daughter--in the lobby, where everybody could see and be envious of what she had. Lena shook her head at the thought, but then she gazed down at the flower clutched in her hand and couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips. 

No matter who'd sent her the rose, it was a kind gesture and Lena Luthor--despite her mother's influence--was not one to ignore kind gestures. She placed the rose back down on her vanity and quickly changed and hung up her costume, before grabbing her bag and plucking the flower right back up. The stem was short enough to place behind her ear and she situated the flower in her hair, before giving herself one last smile in the mirror and heading out.

* * *

 

_**Kara** _

_She's wearing it?!?!?!_

Kara felt like she was going to faint as she watched Lena Luthor strut out of her dressing room, dressed in sweatpants and an oversized plaid shirt over a white tank top, her comfortable jogging shoes, and Kara's rose tucked behind her ear. Her smile was wide and bright and she was practically  _glowing_ , she looked so goddamn happy. 

Kara felt her heart flutter in her chest as Lena made her way to the lobby, only to be embraced by her mother, who carried an armful of carnations. Kara could spot a fake smile from a mile away, and saw it on Lillian's face as she practically shouted how  _proud_ she was of  _her_ daughter's performance. Kara rolled her eyes at that, but then smiled when Lena slapped her mother's hand away as Lillian reached up to pull the rose from her hair. She watched in awe as the look of shock flickered on the older woman's features, before it was replaced by more fake affection as she placed her arm around Lena's shoulders and guided her out of the building.

The flower remained firmly in place.

* * *

This became something of a routine for them.

For each show, Kara would snatch a rose--or the occasional lilly--from somebody else's bouquet (don't worry; they always had plenty to spare) and place it on Lena's vanity at some point during Act Four, when she could slip away unnoticed. It was usually during the flower deliveries, which came at around the same time each day. There were fewer and fewer as the show's run came to a completion, but Kara made certain that Lena always had a flower waiting for her after every show.

Sometimes, when Kara felt she needed it, she would add a tiny note to the gift. Sometimes it was merely a compliment about her performance or the way she looked in her costume ("you're as elegant as Odette and a thousand times more beautiful") and sometimes it was some corny joke ("What do you call a bird in the winter? Brr-d"). Kara would watch Lena make her way out of the dressing room and every night, without fail, Lena would be smiling and Kara would get just the tiniest bit gayer when she saw those dimples appear in her cheeks. 

"You are the gayest person I've ever met," Alex remarked once, as Lena and the dancer playing Siegfried rehearsed together. They were in the balcony, having a quick meal before they had to get back to work. Alex had ordered the entire crew pizza and Kara was halfway through polishing one off, all by herself. "And that's really saying something considering who my girlfriend is."

"You are ten times gayer than me, Danvers," Maggie retorted.

Alex scoffed. "I am not!"

"Oh really? Then who's to blame for the hickeys on my thighs and the bite mark on my ass?" Alex's face turned beet red as she attempted to stutter out a response, but could find no words. Kara didn't even speak as she carefully closed the lid on her pizza, handed the box to Winn, and walked out, mentally thinking of ways to scrub her brain of those mental images.

She continued to drop the roses and other flowers and funny, dorky notes on Lena's dresser and sometimes helped Lena in and out of her costume, as well as the other dancers (but nobody made her blush and shiver and stutter the way Lena did) and even made it through conversations with the other woman without bolting the first chance she got. 

She learned that Lena was adopted when she was four years old. Learned that her birth parents had gotten into a car crash when she was two and she was, miraculously, unscathed. She learned that all Lena remembered of her  _real_ mother (not Lillian, who had never really loved her anyway, the way a mother should) had smelled distinctly of lavender and her birth father (because Lionel Luthor  _had_ loved his daughter, to the best of his ability) had green eyes, like her. She had no pictures of either of them, but she had her memories and that was enough. Or so Lena said. 

Kara told Lena her own story. How her parents had left her in the care of an older cousin (whom they'd raised practically since his own birth) when they went on a second honeymoon to the Cayman Islands. How their plane had disappeared on their way back and was found, weeks later, washed up on the coast of some island Kara had long forgotten the name of. How she'd been only thirteen at the time and her cousin, Clark, had been in his early twenties and was in no position to raise a teenage girl. So he'd left her in the care of the Danvers, who immediately treated her as their own. How she'd gained a sister, as well. 

Kara hadn't told many people that story--or even that in-depth; she'd only told Winn that her parents died in a plane crash and the Danvers took her in and he hadn't asked any further questions. He had a sad story of his own, anyway--but she felt like she could really trust Lena. Maybe it was just because their stories were similar--starting in tragedy and leading to better lives than they might have once imagined--or maybe it was something else.

The more time she spent with Lena, the more she liked her. And not just in the 'you're so pretty and graceful and beautiful and I like looking at your face' kind of way, but the... _forever_ kind of way. She learned that Lena was still getting offers from colleges to join in on their advanced science programs (even with dance taking over the majority of her life, she'd excelled so much in her studies that she had gotten to the highest level of AP Sciences, before her mother decided that her time and money would be better spent at Julliard, for dance) and that she was actually crazy smart.

And kind of a nerd. Sometimes, Kara felt like she was talking to Alex (who was halfway through med school and was only working with the NCBC to pay for her books for the upcoming semester) the way Lena spoke so excitedly about newly released technologies and renewable energy.

To be perfectly honest, most of it just went over Kara's head, but it made her irrationally giddy to see the usually stoic and shy Lena so excited over something, so she just let her continue talking.

* * *

_**Lena** _

_Oh my god. Why are you talking so much? Why can't you just shut up?! She's going to think you're some kind of nerd!_

_WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?_

* * *

**_Kara_ **

In the last week of the show, Kara actually decided to go out and  _buy_ Lena flowers (for once) and an actual card. She slipped them onto her vanity just before the curtain closed and narrowly avoided being caught by the woman herself as she sprinted out and around the corner. She peeked around it, waiting to see Lena's reaction, but never got the chance.

 _"Hey, Kara?"_ Winn's voice came over her earpiece and Kara sighed.

"What's up?" she asked, leaning against the wall.

_"We've got a situation with the spotlight. Looks like the bulb burned out. Can you grab us another?"_

Kara sighed, sparing another glance at Lena's closed dressing room door, before responding, as she headed towards the greenroom. "On my way," she said.

* * *

_**Lena** _

_That's impossible._

Lena gaped at the bouquet of lavender in front of her, wrapped in delicate white paper and the store-bought card placed next to it.

_There's no way they could know. Nobody knows. Not even Lex._

She plucked up the bouquet and buried her nose into it, tears pricking at her eyes. 

 _Mommy_.

She reached for the card, which had a simple floral pattern on the front, and flicked it open, her eyes scanning the simple, sribbled note inside. 

_"You are beauty and fierce intellect."*_

More tears pricked at her eyes as she inhaled the scent of the lavender, then placed the bouquet back down and took a deep breath, reaching back for her zipper.

_Oh, fuck. I forgot to ask Kara--_

Lena's eyes widened as she gasped.

_Kara_ _!_

She turned, throwing her door open, but the blonde was nowhere to be found. Lena sighed, instead asking for the help of one of her castmates. Lucy was all too happy to do it for her.

"Great job, tonight," she said. Lena smiled back at her, but it was more forced than genuine.

"Thanks," she said. "You, too."

They each returned to their respective dressing rooms. Lena didn't see Kara that night.

* * *

_**Kara** _

Over the next week, Kara practically lived at the theater. She only had enough time to return home for sleep, showers, and changes of clothing, before grabbing food on the go and heading back to help where she was needed. Two of their tech members had fallen suddenly ill and would be sitting out the remainder of the show, so everybody was working doubletime to make sure things went as smoothly as possible.

Sadly, this meant that Kara didn't have enough time to run out and actually buy Lena another flower and card and had to go back to stealing from the bouquets of others. She tried to diversify as much as possible, making sure that she had a different flower after every single show. 

Except the last.

On the last night of  _Swan Lake,_ the house was overpacked because some genius had decided to allow the press in to stand all the way at the back throughout the performance (provided they didn't take any pictures with flash and stayed completely quiet) and Kara had to make sure that they weren't violating any fire regulations, which meant keeping the aisles clear without making any sound.

She used Alex to glare at any journalists who violated this rule and it worked better than she ever could have hoped for. 

She didn't even have time to make it to Lena's dressing room before curtain call, let alone steal her a flower, what with all the ballerinas sniffling and being way too loud about it because  _everybody_ is sentimental on the last night of the show, even these graceful dorks. Kara found herself giving out a lot of hugs and whispering soothing words in between pleas of  _Be quiet, I beg of you_.

By the time they did their bows, she knew that she wouldn't be able to make it so she just stood and watched as the teary-eyed company of the NCBC held hands and bowed their heads one last time, expecting Winn to cue the curtain call just after the full company bow...

But he didn't. 

Instead, the curtain remained open and then Maggie Sawyer was handing Lena a microphone and what the hell was happening right now?

"Before we say our final farewell," she said, into the mike, her melodic voice filtering over the speakers scattered around the auditorium, "there are a few people we'd like to thank." She smiled. "Firstly, to you, the audience, for coming out tonight and supporting us. Please, give yourselves a round of applause." There were hoots and cheers as the audience clapped for themselves. Lena's laughter echoed around the room as it died down. "Secondly, the orchestra for always keeping perfect time and for shrouding the sound of our sometimes heavy feet. Thank you." Laughter from the audience and James Olsen, the conductor, blowing her a kiss. "Third, our director, J'onn J'onzz, who put together this entire show and made it one of the best productions I've ever had the pleasure of starring in." She smiled up at J'onn in the balcony, blowing him a kiss. He blew one back and clapped louder than anyone. Kara smiled at that.

"Last, but certainly not least," Lena continued, "the stage crew. Without them, we wouldn't have this beautiful set and literally nobody would have made their cues, so thank you guys, so much. You are the true stars of the show."

"You bet we are!" she heard Maggie Sawyer call out from across the stage, eliciting laughter and more applause from the audience. Kara smiled as Alex grabbed her girlfriend from behind and placed a kiss on her dimpled cheek.

"And, before we all go, I'd like to extend a very sincere thank you to one person in particular. Somebody who has been there with me every step of the way. Somebody who really took the time to listen and get to know me for me and who made a difference in my life that I'm not even sure they're aware of. That person is our very own stage manager, Kara Danvers." She turned in Kara's direction, her eyes glittering and dimples appearing as she beamed at her. "Kara, could you come out here for a quick moment?"

Kara's eyes widened and her mouth gaped a little as she stupidly pointed to herself.  _Me?_ she mouthed. Lena nodded, still smiling.

Kara hesitated for only a moment, before she felt hands on her back, pushing her onto the stage. She blinked like a deer caught in the spotlight, staring around her for a long moment, before she gave the audience an awkward smile and wave.

"Hi." 

She received a few chuckles and some scattering claps, but mostly it was just silent, so she turned to Lena, who was smiling so openly at her that she thought she must have been a different person altogether. Lena held out her hand and Kara tentatively took it, allowing the brunette to pull her closer, their fingers interlocking between their bodies.

"Kara Danvers," she said. "You are...extraordinary. You do so much for everybody in this theater--do so much for  _me_ \--and you never ask for anything in return. Without you, we would have no show and everybody here knows it.  _Everybody_ ," She looked around pointedly and Kara gasped as several members of the cast and crew circled them, each holding a long-stemmed, red rose. She looked up at the balcony and saw both Winn and J'onn also holding roses, smiling at her. She looked towards her sister and both she and Maggie were also holding roses (and each other, because they were so incredibly gay) and Alex gave her a wink.

Kare flushed bright red as she turned back to Lena and found that she, too, now had a bright red rose in her hand.

"You are the most selfless, adorable, dorky, caring,  _amazing_ person I know, Kara Danvers, and I'm pretty sure I fell for you-- _hard--_ the second I first met you." Kara's entire body broke out into goosebumps and she heard a few 'aww's from the audience, which only made her cheeks flush even more. "You are the only person who's ever made a real effort to get to know me and you don't just let somebody like that slip out of your life forever, you know?" Kara nodded absently, though she was certain that was a rhetorical question. Still, Lena giggled and leaned in. "So," she continued, "Kara Danvers, will you...let me take you out?"

"Like...on a date?" Kara asked.

_No, you gay idiot; why are you like this?_

Lena laughed and nodded. "That was the gist of it, yeah," she said. "So what do you say?"

Kara didn't even hesitate to cup Lena's jaw and pull her in for the most earth-shattering kiss she'd ever experienced. She could swear that the entire universe melted around them, leaving just Lena's lips and teeth and tongue on hers and their arms around each other's bodies.

* * *

_**Lena** _

There was no amount of scientific research that could ever explain how it felt to hold Kara Danvers in her arms. It felt like coming home after a long journey, and she never wanted to leave the circle of her embrace. But the need for air made itself known too quickly and they each pulled away, gasping for air. Kara smiled dreamily up at her.

"That was really gay," she teased, making Lena chuckle in response.

"Takes one to know one." Kara snorted and pressed another kiss to Lena's lips, before the sound of thundering applause registered in both of their minds and they turned, blushing, towards the audience, whom were all on their feet. The spotlight was still on them and Lena looked up, laughing when she saw J'onn motioning for them to bow. She tugged on Kara's hand and communicated the same to her, without words or gestures; just the use of a single look. 

They bowed in perfect sync.

* * *

Dealing with her mother's reaction to her sudden  _revelation_ came sooner than expected. Lena had figured that she'd at least wait until they left the theater before she confronted them. 

But no; Lillian Luthor stormed up to both Lena and her new girlfriend (it made her giddy just thinking the word, even as Kara's hand remained firmly planted in hers) and demanded answers. 

"Lena, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

"What does it look like, Mother?" Lena replied, coolly. "I'm going out to dinner with Kara."

"No you are most  _certainly_ not!" Lillian exclaimed. "I forbid it!"

"I'm twenty-six years old, Mother," Lena sighed. "You cannot 'forbid' me from doing anything." She began to tug Kara toward the exit.

"If you walk out those doors, young lady, you will be cut off! You won't get another dime out of me."

Lena paused at that and she felt Kara tense up beside her. She squeezed her girlfriend's (!!!) hand and gave her a comforting smile, before turning back to her mother. "You and I both know that that's an empty threat," she said, sounding almost bored. "Because you and I both know that Dad left me a rather sizable inheritence in his will and made it so you could never touch it." Lena gaped at her. "Yes, Mother, I know about it. I also know that you've been  _illegally_ taking from it when you want a little extra spending money. And that you've been taking a rather large portion of my earnings from this show to line your own pockets."

"H-how?" Lillian gasped.

"You're not as discreet as you think, Lillian," Lena said, a sly smirk appearing on her lips. "I've contacted a lawyer and he's prepared to press legal action against you if you do not cease and desist  _immediately_. So long as you keep your hands off what's left of my money--the amount of which has recently been disclosed to me by the bank--I will not ask for you to return what you've already stolen. But, if you continue to steal from me, then I will have my lawyer take everything you have. And more. Are we understood?" 

Lillian nodded, trying to paint on a cool expression. "What about your dancing career?" she asked. "Don't you care about that at all?"

"Oh, I'll always be a dancer," Lena said. "But I'll do it because  _I_ want to. Maybe I'll even minor in it once I go back to school to get my Masters in Engineering." She shrugged. "Who knows?" Lena grinned as Lillian spluttered. "Goodbye, Lillian."

Tugging Kara out the door, she left her mother short-circuiting as she made her way to the curb to flag down a cab. One stopped and Lena opened the door, turning back to look at Kara as she resisted. She found the other woman staring at her, wide-eyed.

"What is it?" Lena asked, suddenly worried.

"Nothing," Kara said. "That was just...really hot." She cleared her throat as a flush spread up her neck. "Do you...do you really want to go get dinner?"

"Don't you?" Lena asked, smiling softly up at Kara.

"Well, actually," Kara replied, stepping closer. "I kind of had something else in mind." Her eyes trailed hotly over Lena's body and Lena shivered in anticipation. 

"Do tell," she husked in Kara's ear.

"Well, it does involve food," Kara said, swallowing thickly. "And eating..."

She didn't have to ask twice.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Kara's a bit kinky (but is that really a surprise though?)
> 
> This is also really Gay and I spent hours on this chapter. It's 3 am now and Eli, you better appreciate this, you gay nerd.
> 
> I'm cassiebones on Tumblr, btw. Cassie_Bones94 on Twitter.
> 
> And I'm fucking Gay AF everywhere I go.

**Author's Note:**

> Eli is to blame for all the gay
> 
> Okay, maybe I'm partly to blame...


End file.
